Such handles and connecting devices inside such handles are known in the art. In most cases, a supply tubing set and an application probe are attached to the handles, said application probe being supplied with an application fluid via the supply tubing set. The mentioned connecting devices are disposed for the fluid-conveying connection of the tubing set with the application probe to supply an application fluid to the application probe via the tubing set and the supply line elements provided therein, and to remove said application fluid from said application probe. To accomplish this, the fluid is delivered to the grip element via at least one supply line element and from said grip element to the application probe, where said fluid flows to the application probe head via an application line element extending on the outside circumference of the application probe. From there, said fluid is returned through a coaxial internal application line element and conveyed into a return supply line element through which said fluid flows back to the supply unit.
The connection between parallel supply line elements or the supply tubing set and the coaxial application line elements or the application probe is an essential aspect of the aforementioned devices.
A large number of devices for connecting or rerouting parallel and coaxial lines are known in the art, all of said devices having a highly complex and, most of all, sensitive and very bulky design.
According to experts, there is a need for handles, and thus also the need for connecting devices, that enable the interchangeable attachment of application probes. This is understood to mean that the handles or surgical instruments can be used, for example, not only as “normal” cryosurgical instruments, but also as defreeze devices, wherein the inflow of the still warm fluid takes place on the outside and the return flow of the cooled fluid takes place on the inside. Considering this “reverse” application, the operation of the application probe with the fluid in reverse flow direction must be possible.
Due to the extremely high costs in the surgical instruments' field, there has been a move toward modular instruments that use a minimal variety of components; there is a need for handles or surgical instruments that enable, in a simple manner, the attachment of different application probes to the handle, without requiring expensive structural modifications of the device.
This object has only been inadequately achieved by the prior art.